🌈 Woodlands emerging curriculum plans ✅

Yearly Planning Calendar:

Woodlands Early Learning Programming and planning in action and why we have the templates we do:
https://stonly.com/sl/b6445833-71dc-4ac9-8874-f54112ef4912/Steps/

What is Woodlands Early Learning Framework? please see visual guide link:
https://stonly.com/sl/d960c055-0801-40b2-a87b-dd0b4c4c0fc5/Steps/

“Knowledgeable and skilful educators are integral to the environment creating the right conditions to enable children to progressively become more capable learners.”
(Learning to Learn: Positive dispositions as a ‘learning curriculum)

Documentation as an important part of your work with children and families. and as part of a cycle of observation, analysis, planning, implementation and reflection. it is a valuable way that captures children’s voices and ideas through planning, documentation and evaluation.

When thinking about child's planning and supporting families and children through their learning journey, I understand that not all of you are planners, however, we all have a responsibility to the community we teach and empower and it is important that you are all across the planning cycle and have an understanding of how it needs to be embedded and why. All educators at Woodlands ELC needs to understand how the planning works and why we do what we do, we all have a responsibility ensure children are empowered and lead their future learning that sets them up for success. Programming and planning ensures that we all are provided with the correct skills and have a clear understanding on how to collect data that supports each child individually and as a group through, observations, the implementation stage, reflecting/evaluating and analysing.

Planning steps: January until July:

1. Formative assessment (optional to share to families) 

2. Positive partnership with family (share to families)

3. Analysis of learning and evaluation (optional) (share to families)

4. Individual goal planning (share to families)

5. Group focus planning (emerging curriculum) (share to families)

6.  Analysis of learning and evaluation (optional) (share to families)

7. Summative Assessment (share to families)

Planning steps: July until December: repeat process. 

1. Formative assessment (optional to share to families) 

2. Positive partnership with family (share to families)

3. Analysis of learning and evaluation (optional) (share to families)

4. Individual goal planning (share to families)

5. Group focus planning (emerging curriculum) (share to families)

6.  Analysis of learning and evaluation (optional) (share to families)

7. Summative Assessment (share to families)

NOTE: Observations and data collection happens through all aspects of planning. 

Positive Partnership's with families guide:
https://woodlandsteam.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6374367098255--How-to-Prepare-for-a-Parent-Partnership-Meeting

Formative Assessment: 

This is a useful tool for educators to be able to clearly identify the child's learning abilities that will support you to identify the leaning focus (individual goal) the child needs at that time. The formative assessment will help the educator create an 'individual goal' for the child and is a way for the educator to build on their knowledge about the child's abilities and what learning is important to focus on that supports the child's development in that moment of their learning.
It is to be done twice a year at the minimum, in January and in July.

Assessment ‘for children’s learning’, also known as formative assessment, is when information about what children know, can do and understand is gathered and analysed to inform pedagogy and planning.

This document is preferred to not to be shared with families, as there could be information in there that they may not agree with, however, you know the families you have in your Campus best, and if you feel that by shearing this document would support your conversation, then share the information respectfully and be mindful of the language you use with families. 

Extended Guide on a Formative Assessment:
https://stonly.com/sl/8afeecea-68ac-41f4-9267-4d5509b4c0f8/Steps/

Observations: 

Through the planning cycle, observations are done and collected throughout the whole processes. Observations are about observing each child and collecting information on their current knowledge as a group and individually with identifying children's, strengths, skills, abilities, interests as well as culture and background.

Observations can take place during every day routines, as the child interacts with their peers through activities, or during spontaneous learning throughout the day with a small/large group of children or through solitary play. it includes listening and capturing children’s conversation and communication. 

They are completed on Playground under the 'observation' tab on the left side, then select 'new'.  (Please see below link to access how and where you can find this process).

You can document observations on the reflection template, with using the data from parent partnership conversations through formal and informal meeting, through the QIP, under 'spontaneous learning', through recording videos and images on Playground and or the 'unfolding of learning' on the curriculum.

Remember when documenting observations, note down only what you have seen and heard, focus on the facts, remain judgemental and don’t allow your views, values, feelings or background influence what you note during the observation.

Minimum Observation requirements: 

Individual goal: A minimum of 1 observation per child that links to the child's individual goal per fortnight. Total of 6 per child, per term. 
Group observations: 1 group observation per week. 

Extended Guides on Observations: 

Detailed written guide: 

https://woodlandsteam.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8296412288143-Observation-s-
Children visual guide:
https://stonly.com/sl/b1a71510-ac70-4186-9f7f-b80a44bf0773/Steps/

Linking the group observations into the correct folder: 

https://stonly.com/sl/b1a71510-ac70-4186-9f7f-b80a44bf0773/Steps/ 

Analysis and evaluation stage, also a form of reflection: 

This stage requires the educator to analyse the information gathered through previous observation, online data collection, parent conversation, and the formative assessment's that draw on the insights related to each child’s learning development. The educator not only needs to reflect on what the child has been learning about, but also how the learning formed and what came from that, with looking at the learning deeply not just a brief overview, for example, if a group of children are engaged in play-dough, look at what is it about the play-dough they are engaged in, or what are they creating with the play-dough. Ensure the learning is linked to an approved learning framework (EYLF or VEYLDF).

NOTE: The Analysis of learning and evaluation document screenshotted below is optional because this online form is used for you to be able to gather the large number of evidence you have been gathering over a long period of time. It is for you as the planner to ensure clarity of what you are working on to ensure children are achieving and working towards the learning they need. 
Based on your analysis of learning what will you follow through with to further support the child's development skills based on their interests?

• Through the child's learning has the team been able to support child's wellbeing and provided safe modelling practices through their learning development? 
• While analysing that data collected, the educator might think about some analysing questions like:What does this information tell us about the child‘s learning development while evaluating the evidence (written, images, videos, notes) collected?

Detailed written guide: 
https://woodlandsteam.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6748225853327--Evaluate-and-Analysis-of-learning

Planning: 

Once the educator has analysed the observations gathered through documentation, the next step is to plan experiences, interactions and environments that build on children’s interests, abilities and identities based on the learning outcomes outlined in approved learning frameworks (EYLF or VEYLDF).

It is important to include the families voice and developmental needs of their child/ren's into your planning.

While planning the educator might need to reflect on their own intentions, and teaching techniques or strategies, to ensure children are being supported for furthering learning through their developmental stages. Planning is a visual way that guides educators through their professional decision-making and assists in the planning, implementation and with evaluating high quality educational programs and practices in early childhood settings. Planning involves choosing appropriate challenging learning strategies, resources, collaborating with the team you work in, setting up the necessary learning environments that support your documentation and the child's voice and learning needs.

The reason for this, is when someone else walks into the room they need to be able to clearly see how the connections are formed and evolving form the curriculum plan to the learning experiences set up on the floor that link to the children's learning goals, needs and abilities.

NOTE: Don't need to work at all outcomes at once, a maximum of 2 per cycle- every 3 months, should be a new individual planning cycle for each child

Something to think about when on planning:
1. Is the planning visible and clear to every educator that comes into the room?
2. Can I and others identify and easily find what each child's individual goals are?3. Go into your planning time with the knowledge and clarity of what you need to to.
4. When I have finished planning, how can I best communicate this to the educators I work along-side? 
5. Have I provided challenging learning experiences for the children to be able to build on their learning further?
6. Am I setting children up for success through their learning? 
7. As a group, what are the children's needs and how will I support the children? for example in the 3yr old room as a collective they need support around social and emotional regulation, and confidently using their oral verbal skills that support their needs and interests- this is what you build your plan on. Then the weekly/fortnightly is more focused on child's individual learning goals. 

8. If children are doing the same learning activity, look at the children's interactions with a deeper lens, think about, what is it that they are going different through this common learning experience? 

📚 Explaining how to complete the Emerging curriculum plan's and where to store them on Playgroup:

https://stonly.com/sl/be004436-bd62-4fcd-8159-e0e5c789e9a6/Steps/

Embedding curriculum part 1:
https://www.loom.com/share/27ffabb3e1564203be101ca0c6803dfd?sid=2e7030ce-46f7-49af-b273-f4adf81683b3
Embedding curriculum part 2:
https://www.loom.com/share/b130ba572d994215980523c86a552063?sid=6f90dc09-a90e-45c6-80e3-6d28951df699

https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/EYLF-2022-V2.0.pdf

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/childhood/providers/edcare/veyldframework.pdf

🛑 Termly:

Tag room name before publishing to the families in your name.

🛑 Weekly/fortnightly:



Individual learning plan for children's goals. Please don't tag your whole room in the boxes, you can divide them into weeks to ensure educators are not overwhelmed in needing to focus on everyone in 1 week and to ensure the learning that is delivered, is meaningful to children.

Implementing: 
https://woodlandsteam.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8344518952463--Implementation-of-learning 

This phase of the planning cycle involves educators putting their plans in action  through the Weekly/Fortnightly plan and also through observations collected that supports children's needs, interests and abilities and that link to the learning outcomes according to approved learning frameworks. The implementation would address children’s learning routines, transitions, interactions, indoor and outdoor environments, group projects and investigations. Some questions that educators can reflect on through the implementation stage:

• Do I ensure that the program learning opportunities by using all aspects of the day? 

• Am I including families and child's voice into the program?

• Does my learning environments demonstrate play-based learning?

• Am I providing open-questioning, dispositions, engaging in shared thinking and problem-solving to extend the child’s thinking and learning?

• How does the implementation on the learning area allow children to use their choice and agency

• In what ways is the implementation of my learning plans visible?

In the above example, the educator might use strategies like intentional teaching-scaffolding, open-questioning, engaging in shared thinking and problem-solving to extend the child’s thinking and learning. 

Visual Weekly/fortnightly plan guide:
 https://stonly.com/sl/be004436-bd62-4fcd-8159-e0e5c789e9a6/Steps/

NOTE:

What are dispositions?    
They are strategies that empower children to:

• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
• To be adaptable
• Have curiosity and Imagination
• Have Initiative/Entrepreneurialism
• Support children with effective Oral and Written Communication Skills
• Empower children to access and Analyse Information Skills
• Collaborate their learning.

Written detailed guide: 
https://woodlandsteam.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8344518952463--Implementation-of-learning-

Linking the group observations into the correct folder: 
https://www.loom.com/share/c1ab70b2c1594e5281e4ab3697ac5631?sid=c515d640-da40-4147-b188-bb92af3dd477

Stonly visual guide: 
https://stonly.com/sl/32a59032-b862-43a9-b0a0-1c5b92f9f225/Steps/

📚 Explaining how to complete the Emerging curriculum plan's and where to store them on Playgroup:      
 https://stonly.com/sl/be004436-bd62-4fcd-8159-e0e5c789e9a6/Steps/

📚 Embedding curriculum part 1:
https://www.loom.com/share/27ffabb3e1564203be101ca0c6803dfd?sid=2e7030ce-46f7-49af-b273-f4adf81683b3

📚 Embedding curriculum part 2:
https://www.loom.com/share/b130ba572d994215980523c86a552063?sid=6f90dc09-a90e-45c6-80e3-6d28951df699

Go back to the analysing and evaluating stage in preparation for the Summative assessment.

Evaluating/analysis.

This stage requires the educator to analyse the information gathered through previous observation, data collection and draw insights related to the child’s learning development. The educator not only needs to reflect on what the child has been learning about, but also how the learning formed and what came from that. Ensure the learning is linked to approved learning frameworks (EYLF or VEYLDF). Based on your analysis of learning what will you follow through with to further support the child's development skills based on their interests?

There is a section on the Termly plan and Weekly/ Fortnightly what says "Evaluation": Were the learning goals of experiences met? What worked well/what didn't? What will you do to extend the children's learning?
This is for you as Educators and Teachers to include when needing to reflect on the 'group' or 'individual' learning experiences that are/were planned.

NOTE: For the last analysis, there is a reflection piece. 

• Through the child's learning has the team been able to support child's wellbeing and provided safe modelling practices through their learning development? 

• While analysing that data collected, the educator might think about some analysing questions like:

  What does this information tell us about the child‘s learning development while evaluating the evidence (written, images, videos, notes) collected?

This document is used for you to be able to gather the large data you have collected, if you feel that you have it all under control, then you don't need to do it as you are still analysing through reflection, summative assessments, evaluation on both plans, the formative analysis and alongside your team. 

Detailed written guide: 
https://woodlandsteam.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6748225853327--Evaluate-and-Analysis-of-learning

Assessing learning areas:
https://stonly.com/sl/32a59032-b862-43a9-b0a0-1c5b92f9f225/Steps/

Reflection:

Visual stonly guide:
https://stonly.com/sl/61479373-e843-4d7f-afca-4a36bd95136d/Steps/ 
Reflective practice in early learning is about taking a step back and critically examining these experiences to better understand what happened and why and the National Quality Standard (NQS) promotes and supports educators to engage in reflective practice through self-assessment. The intent of reflection through children's learning and our practice in action is to question philosophy, ethics and practice as well as record meaningful information to share with families and authorised officers will demonstrate your process of critical reflection and how it will inform your practice. 

Your planning needs to:

Each child should have at a minimum of 1 FULL planning cycle of learning completed before the summative assessment, therefore, every 6 months. If the initial goal is
" Charlotte is interested in taking things of the wall and her families needs are for educators to support her gross motor, by Charlotte being able to stand up". 
On your Plan there should be learning set up that supports:

1. Charlottes interest in taking things of the wall

and 

2. Families needs to have Educators to support Charlotte with her gross motor skills through standing up.

If you identify that form this experience, Charlotte has extended her interest with exploring colours, then in your plan it should STILL be how educators will be supporting Charlotte to stand up, but now with incorporating colours, not taking things of the wall. 

Yearly planning calendar. 

Sources: 

https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/EYLF-2022-V2.0.pdf

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/childhood/providers/edcare/veyldframework.pdf